Valakkar
Details
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Habitat
- Leir III, Daymar, Monox, Pyro I
AI Overview
Compiled by AI from community sources — may be incomplete or inaccurate; verify before relying on it.
The Valakkar is a colossal, limbless burrowing "sandworm" — the largest animal on its native Leir III — that senses prey through ground vibrations, ambushes from beneath the sand, and is now a high-value hunting target in Pyro (Star Citizen 4.2's "Storm Breaker" raid).
Appearance
The Valakkar is a long, segmented worm with no limbs; it moves on overlapping armor plates that grip the ground and push it forward, letting it "swim" through sand and volcanic ash. The head ends in a three-lobed mouth (three hard, curved, beak-like mandibles) backed by rows of throat teeth that keep growing for the creature's entire life. Coloration and armor shift across three life stages: - Juvenile: earthy brown, semi-hardened plates studded with tooth-like protrusions and an incomplete beak shielded by serrated guards that are shed at adulthood. - Adult: sandy brown with rough, overlapping plates cracked from wear, exposing reddish-brown undersides. - Apex: dark brown plates marked with reddish scratches. Streamlined, armored bodies make them nearly undetectable below the surface until they surge up in an explosive ambush.
Sources:starcitizen.toolsapi.star-citizen.wikitheimpound.com
Behavior & temperament
Aggressive ambush predator. Juveniles travel together in broods for protection; adults grow increasingly solitary and predatory, and apex specimens are fully solitary, rarely breeding. They perceive prey through earth vibrations and strike from underground. Adults are fiercely protective of their nests and generally only leave them to feed. Breeding individuals will travel hundreds of kilometers to find a mate. The species is notoriously hard to eradicate: when a population is threatened, females lay much larger clutches in response. Juveniles in particular are described as relentlessly territorial.
Where to find
- Native range: the deserts of Leir III (Leir system), where it is the planet's largest animal. - Invasive range: introduced/escaped populations have spread to the Pyro system — established on Monox and on Pyro I. - Community-reported in-game spawn locations also include Daymar (Crusader, Stanton). The Storm Breaker raid that summons the Irradiated Apex Valakkar plays out at the Lazarus Facilities on Pyro IV. Juveniles tend to stay near mineral deposits and just under the planet surface; the species adapts readily to many biomes (desert, swamp, cave, volcanic plains), which is why concept variants such as a Swamp Valakkar and Cave Valakkar were discussed.
Sources:starcitizen.toolsmmopixel.comrobertsspaceindustries.com
Diet
Omnivore — subsists on a mixed diet of vegetation, detritus/waste, and meat. (Confirms our existing "Omnivore" classification.)
Variants & subspecies
Defined primarily by life stage rather than species: Juvenile (~5 m), Adult (~15 m), and Apex (commonly 150 m+, with the longest-lived specimens exceeding 300 m). A distinct mutated population — the Irradiated Valakkar — exists on Pyro I, where decades of high-energy radiation produced tumor-like growths that protrude between the armor plates (these act as vulnerable weak points), the ability to spit radioactive saliva, and pearls with possible regenerative-technology applications. CIG has also discussed concept variants adapted to other biomes, such as a Swamp Valakkar and a Cave Valakkar.
Combat & danger
A serious group-fight target, not a solo creature. The Apex form is roughly 150 m long (and can reach ~300 m), digs and repositions constantly underground, and will crush players caught in its path. It spits rock-hard sand/rock at attackers as a deterrent; the Irradiated Apex can also expel radioactive saliva. Community guidance: do not engage without a coordinated team (around four-plus players is the commonly cited minimum). Learn its movement, attack, and defense patterns and focus fire on the head; for the Irradiated Apex, the tumor growths between its plates are weak points. The 4.2 Storm Breaker encounter is a multi-phase raid mixing FPS combat, prep objectives, and vehicle work — players "weapons-free" the worm while powering up an ATLS IKTI exosuit/vehicle to land the kill shot, often dumping very large amounts of ammo (e.g. many P8-AR magazines) into it.
Sources:mmopixel.comrobertsspaceindustries.comstarcitizen.tools
Loot & drops
Killing a Valakkar yields harvestable body parts that are among the highest-value hand-carried loot in the game: - Fangs/teeth: continuously shed enameloid-hardened teeth, prized for crafting luxury items. Lootable in juvenile, adult, and apex (and irradiated) grades. (Fang item volume ~100 µSCU.) - Pearls: form when a piece of grit penetrates the hide and the skin encases it in organic layers; sought for beauty and as additives in ceramics, metals, and alloys. Irradiated pearls are graded (C / A / AA / AAA). - The Irradiated Apex Storm Breaker fight can also drop Irradiated Valakkar eggs. Approximate market values (player marketplaces, not fixed NPC prices — treat as indicative): Valakkar / Irradiated Valakkar Pearls roughly 500K UEC per unit baseline, with top-grade (AAA) irradiated pearls listed up to ~3M UEC per unit; Irradiated Apex Valakkar Fang/Tooth listed in the ~5M–8M UEC range (e.g. ~6.5M per unit, ~8M per box). Prices vary heavily by grade, patch, and market.
Sources:starcitizen.toolsstarcitizen.toolsuexcorp.spaceuexcorp.spaceuexcorp.spaceuexcorp.space
Hunting & harvesting tips
- Bring a coordinated team (commonly four or more); this is a raid-style encounter, not a solo kill. - Aim for the head and learn its surfacing/attack/defense cadence so you strike when it's exposed; stay out of its dig path to avoid being crushed. - Against the Irradiated Apex, target the tumor weak points between the plates and watch for radioactive spit. - Expect to burn a lot of ammo, and in the 4.2 Storm Breaker raid plan around the prep phases (keys, lab coats, shuttle drops) and powering up the ATLS IKTI for the finishing damage. - Harvest the fangs and pearls after the kill — these are the payout, and irradiated/apex grades are worth dramatically more.
Lore & discovery
The Valakkar is native to Leir III, where its attacks on settlements have historically made permanent habitation difficult. It became an invasive species elsewhere largely through human action: Galactapedia/wiki lore (the Jacques Villaume anecdote) recounts traders illegally smuggling juveniles across planetary borders, with an escaped juvenile establishing a destructive invasive population — a cautionary tale about ecological disruption. The concept was first shown by CIG back around CitizenCon 2016 and matured over years of creature-tech development; CitizenCon 2954 revealed its Pyro/Monox invasive status, lootable teeth and pearls, sand-spitting attack, and the ~300 m Apex scale, alongside a cinematic sandworm fight. It became a playable hunting encounter in Star Citizen Alpha 4.2 via the Storm Breaker raid. It is widely understood as an homage to the Shai-Hulud sandworms of Dune.
Sources:starcitizen.toolsapi.star-citizen.wikitheimpound.comsimulationdaily.com
Trivia
- Born in shallow desert nests from clutches of just 2–3 eggs (typical clutch 2–10; up to ~20 when the population is threatened). - Has no limbs at all — locomotion is purely from overlapping plates gripping the ground. - Its teeth never stop growing and are continually shed, which is why "fangs" are a renewable lootable resource. - A Valakkar Plushie exists as an in-game merch/decor item. - Almost certainly named/designed in homage to Dune's Shai-Hulud.
Sources:starcitizen.toolsapi.star-citizen.wikistarcitizen.tools
Drops
Some data from starcitizen.tools (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).